n it to my purpose。〃
Thrower wept in relief。 〃Consecrated now； you've made it holy。〃 And he reached out a hand to touch the altar。
〃Stop！〃 whispered the Visitor。 Even voiceless； though； his word had the power to set the walls a…trembling。 〃Hear me first；〃 he said。
〃I always listen to you；〃 said Thrower。 〃Though I can't guess why you should have chosen such a lowly worm as me。〃
〃Even a worm can be made great by a touch from the finger of God；〃 said the Visitor。 〃No； don't misunderstand me I am not the Lord of Hosts。 Don't worship me。〃
But Thrower could not help himself； and he wept in devotion； kneeling before this wise and powerful angel。 Yes； angel； Thrower had no doubt of it； though the Visitor had no wings and wore a suit of clothes one might expect to see in Parliament。
〃The man who built this is confused； but there is murder in his soul； and if he is provoked enough； it will e forth。 And the child who made the crosses he is as remarkable as you suppose。 But he is not yet ordained to a life of good or evil。 Both paths are set before him； and he is open to influence。 Do you understand me？〃
〃Is this my work？〃 asked Thrower。 〃Should I forget all else； and devote myself to turning the child to righteousness？〃
〃If you seem too devoted； his parents will reject you。 Rather you should conduct your ministry as you have planned。 But in your heart； you'll bend everything toward this remarkable child； to win him to my cause。 Because if he does not serve me by the time he's fourteen years of age； then I'll destroy him。〃
The mere thought of Alvin Junior being hurt or killed was unbearable to Thrower。 It filled him with such a sense of loss that he could not imagine a father or even a mother feeling more。 〃All that a weak man can do to save the child； I will do；〃 he cried； his voice wrung almost to a scream by his anguish。
The Visitor nodded； smiled his beautiful and loving smile； and reached out his hand to Thrower。 〃I trust you；〃 he said softly。 His voice was like healing water on a burning wound。 〃I know you will do well。 And as for the devil； you must feel no fear of him。〃
Thrower reached for the proffered hand； to cover it with kisses； but when he should have touched flesh； there was nothing there； and in that moment the Visitor was gone。
Chapter Nine Taleswapper
There was once a time； Taleswapper well remembered； when he could climb a tree in these parts and look out over a hundred square miles of undisturbed forest。 A time when oaks lived a century or more； with ever…thickening trunks making mountains out of wood。 A time when leaves were so thick overhead that there were places where the forest ground was bare from lack of light。
That world of eternal dusk was slipping away now。 There still were reaches of primeval wood； where Red men wandered more quietly than deer and Taleswapper felt himself to be in the cathedral of the most well…worshipped God。 But such places were so rare that in this last year of wandering； Taleswapper had not journeyed a single day in which he could climb a tree and see no interruption in the forest roof。 All the country between the Hio and the Wobbish was being settled； sparsely but evenly； and even now； from his perch atop a willow at the crest of a rise； Taleswapper could see three dozen cookfires sending pillars of smoke straight up into the cold autumn air。 And in every direction； great swatches of forest had been cleared； the land plowed； crops planted； tended； harvested； so that where once great trees had shielded the earth from the sky's eye； now the stubbled soil was naked； waiting for winter to cover its shame。
Taleswapper remembered his vision of drunken Noah。 He had engraved it for an edition of Genesis for Scottish rite Sunday schools。 Noah； nude； his mouth lolling open； a cup half…spilled still dangling from his curled fingers； Ham； not far off； laughing derisively； and Japheth and Shem； walking backward to draw a robe over their father； so they would not see what their father had exposed in his stupefaction。 With an electric excitement； Taleswapper realized that this； now； is what that prophetic moment foreshadowed。 That he； Taleswapper； perched atop a tree； was seeing the naked land in its stupor； awaiting the modest covering of winter。 It was prophecy fulfilled； a thing which one hoped for but could not expect in one's own life。
Or； then again； the story of drunken Noah might not be a figure of this moment at all。 Why not the other way around？ Why not cleared land as a figure for drunken Noah？
Taleswapper was in a foul mood by the time he reached the ground。 He thought and thought； trying to open his mind to see visions； to be a good prophet。 Yet every time he thought he had got something firm and tight； it shifted； it changed。 He thought one thought too many； and the whole fabric came undone； and he was left as uncertain as ever before。
At the base of the tree he opened his pack。 From it he took the Book of Tales that he had first made for Old Ben back in '85。 Carefully he unbuckled the sealed portion； then closed his eyes and riffled the pages。 He opened his eyes and found his fingers resting among the Proverbs of Hell。 Of course； at a time like this。 His finger touched two proverbs； both written by his own hand。 One meant nothing； but the other seemed appropriate。 〃A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees。〃
Yet the more he tried to study out the meaning of that proverb at this moment； the less connection he saw； except that it included mention of trees。 So he tried the first proverb after all。 〃If the fool would persist in his folly he would bee wise。〃
Ah。 This was speaking to him； after all。 This was the voice of prophecy； recorded when he lived in Philadelphia； before he ever began his journey； on a night when the Book of Proverbs came alive for him and he saw as if in letters of flame the words that should have been included。 That night he had stayed up until dawn's light killed the fires of the page。 When Old Ben came thumping down the stairs to grouch his way in for breakfast； he stopped and sniffed the air。 〃Smoke；〃 he said。 〃You haven't been trying to burn down the house； have you； Bill？〃
〃No sir；〃 answered Taleswapper。 〃But I saw a vision of what God meant the Book of Proverbs to say； and wrote them down。〃
〃You are obsessed with visions；〃 said Old Ben。 〃The only true vision es not from God but from the inmost recesses of the human mind。 Write that down as a proverb； if you want。 It's far too agnostic for me to use it in Poor Richard's Almanac。〃
〃Look；〃 said Taleswapper。
Old Ben looked； and saw the last flames as they died。 〃Well； now； if that's not the most remarkable trick to do with letters。 And you told me you weren't a wizard。〃
〃I'm not。 God gave this to me。〃
〃God or the devil？ When you're surrounded by light； Bill； how do you know whether it's the glory of God or the flames of hell？〃
〃I don't know；〃 said Taleswapper； growing confused。 Being young then； not yet thirty； he was easily confused in the presence of the great man。
〃Or perhaps you； wanting truth so badly； gave it to yourself。〃 Old Ben tilted his head to examine the pages of Proverbs through the lower lenses of his bifocals。 〃The letters have been burned right in。 Funny； isn't it； that I'm called a wizard； who am not； and you； who are； refuse to admit it。〃
〃I'm a prophet。 Or want to be。〃
〃If one of your prophecies es true； Bill Blake； then I'll believe it； but not until。〃
In the years since then； Taleswapper had searched for the fulfilment of even one prophecy。 Yet whenever he thought he had found such a fulfilment； he could hear Old Ben's voice in the back of his mind； providing an alternate explanation； scoffing at him for thinking that any connection between prophecy and reality could be true。
〃Never true；〃 Old Ben would say。 〃Useful now； there's something。 Your mind might make a connection that is useful。 But true is another matter。 True implies that you have found a connection that exists independent of your apprehension of it； that would exist whether you noticed it or not。 And I must say that I have never seen such a connection in my life。 There are times when I suspect that there are no such connections； that all links； bonds； ties； and similarities are creatures of thought and have no substance。〃
〃Then why doesn't the ground dissolve beneath our feet？〃 asked Taleswapper。
〃Because we have managed to persuade it not to let our bodies by。 Perhaps it was Sir Isaac Newton。 He was such a persuasive fellow。 Even if human beings doubt him； the ground does not； and so it endures。〃 Old Ben laughed。 It was all a lark to him。 He never could bring himself to believe even his own skepticism。
Now； sitting at the base of the tree； his eyes closed； Taleswapper connected again： The tale of Noah with Old Ben。 Old Ben was Ham； who saw the naked truth； limp and shameful； and laughed at it； while all the loyal sons of church and university walked backward to cover it up again； so the silly truth would not be seen。 Thus the world continued to think of the truth as firm and proud； never having seen it in a slack moment。
That is a true